Tense Exchange Between Netanyahu and Zelensky at Senator Graham's Funeral Reveals Meeting Dispute

During the funeral ceremony for Senator Lindsey Graham in Washington, a notably tense interaction was observed between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The two leaders faced each other with serious expressions, sparking speculation about the cause of the discomfort. According to a report by Haaretz, Netanyahu refused to hold a formal meeting with Zelensky during their concurrent visits to Washington. Initially, Netanyahu's office had proposed the meeting but later withdrew the offer, citing scheduling conflicts. Contrarily, a Ukrainian source claimed Zelensky's office was the first to request the meeting but received no response from the Israeli side. Both leaders met separately with then-President Donald Trump and briefly spoke at Senator Graham's funeral. Despite the earlier tension, the encounter ended amicably, with Netanyahu apparently agreeing to an unspecified request from Zelensky, and the two parted with smiles.